Carleton U names woman as new president

Ottawa's Carleton University has chosen the president of Old Dominion University in Virginia to be its new president and vice-chancellor.

Roseann O'Reilly Runte, the first woman to be hired for the post at Carleton, will assume her new duties on July 1.

Runte succeeds Samy Mahmoud, who has been Carleton's president and temporary vice-chancellor since November 2006.

Before moving to Virginia, Runte was a president and vice-chancellor of two University of Toronto colleges.

Carleton chairman David Dunn calls Runte a "superb scholar, an experienced administrator and a pragmatic innovator."

Runte holds a PhD in French literature and is fluently bilingual.

She isthe author of five volumes of creative writing and has written extensively on topics ranging from literature and education to economic and cultural development.

She holds dual Canadian-American citizenship and has been awarded the Order of Canada.